2018 Rookie Class: An Early Look at Royce Freeman

Rob Willette Posted On December 16, 2017

College Bowl season begins today with several games that will conclude the season for these teams. For Oregon running back Royce Freeman, it will signal the end of his successful college career, but the beginning of his next step, a chance to play on Sundays.

NCAA Career

If you’re big on collegiate production, Royce Freeman is sure to attract your attention. After returning for his senior season, Freeman piled up another 1,475 rushing yards to move to sixth on the all-time NCAA rushing list. He’s been a workhorse since his true freshman season, emerging as an offensive centerpiece next to Marcus Mariota as the Oregon Ducks marched all the way to the title game before falling to Ohio State.

Perhaps most impressively, Freeman overtook former devy darling Thomas Tyner in the Ducks’ backfield. While his career was derailed by injuries, Tyner was a gifted runner in his own right, yet he took a backseat to Freeman during a banner campaign for the Oregon program. It is a testament to how physically ready Freeman was from the moment he stepped on campus.

As A Recruit

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In the 247Sports composite, the Imperial, CA native rated as the sixth overall running back and a Top 50 national player. Already with a pro-ready frame in high school, Freeman was both a premier talent and somebody ready to make an impact from day one. With offers from Alabama, USC, and Florida, among many others, it was a big recruiting win for the Ducks as they kept Freeman on the West Coast.

Athletic Profile

Overall athleticism is what many attach to Freeman as a negative. While he’s not going to test in the stratosphere of a Saquon Barkley at the 2018 NFL Combine, it is worth noting he posted a solid 121.17 SPARQ Rating at 2013’s ‘The Opening‘ with a 4.58 forty yard dash at 5-11.5 and 227 pounds and a 4.07 shuttle time. For comparison, his shuttle time bested the likes of Leonard Fournette, Budda Baker, Christian Kirk, and Joe Mixon.

Of course, by the time the draft rolls around, this testing will have been from five years ago. However, I think it illustrates Freeman is not just a plodder without the ability to move in space. He has ample athleticism to compete at the NFL level.

Draft Projection

In another deep class of runners, we could see more day two talents pushed down to day three. There’s a risk this happens to Freeman, thus deflating some of his rookie draft value, though much like many of 2017’s day three runners he could have every opportunity to earn early playing time. Given his production and frame, I’d expect him land between rounds two-four. I could add some sort of caveat indicating a disastrous off-season could plummet this stock, though I feel fairly confident Freeman will be seen as a safe bet to find a role at the next level, even if some perceive his upside to be limited.

My Thoughts

Pac 12 talents are often overlooked due to the fact they’re often playing when a large portion of America is asleep. I feel this could impact Freeman as well. While I can understand the concerns with regards to how explosive he looks on the football field, I feel he mitigates them with a balanced all-around game and strong profile.

The four-year starter is a plus receiver with elite production and has shown the ability to handle insane workloads. He does not demonstrate the brute power of an Earl Campbell despite his supersized frame, though I feel his ability to shed tackles in tight spaces and use his frame to fight for extra yardage are more important traits and has allowed him to stay relatively durable throughout his career. Big backs with credible speed and soft hands can have a big role in the league and I feel Freeman comfortably falls into this category.

He’s sitting out the Las Vegas Bowl this weekend to prep for the NFL Draft, but there is plenty of tape out there to determine what type of player Freeman is. Once you delve into the second and third tiers of this running back class, it is obvious there is a ton of depth and despite a decorated career Freeman is still a vastly overlooked player with ample pro upside.

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